Loki's Stray
by LightWriter2013
Summary: Tinora Kanin is a 16year-old girl who lives a normal life, unknowledgeable of her hidden mutant abilities inside her. On a seemingly normal day, her life is changed forever when she transforms into a huge wolf. Everything she knew and loved is ripped away as SHEILD labels her as a threat to New York. Utterly alone, Tinora plans on giving up, then is offered a better life by Loki.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I don't know how it happened, nor why, but I'm now being followed by a couple of strange men. They're not being very stealthy about it… yet they're not exactly obvious either. They're just there. Wherever I look; there, in the crowd, or behind newspapers.

I said I didn't know why… well… I kinda lied. That day was a jumbled one for me for sure. I must have caught someone's attention somehow during it all. At least, that was my guess. I'm actually not entirely sure if they're actually following me.

I hurried around the corner of the street feeling open and vulnerable. Nothing made sense to me today. Absolutely nothing. There've been friends and foes all about the street. The police type of thing called SHEILD has popped up from time to time. Different heroes of New York have swung, flew, ran, or drove by numerous times.

I decided to head back to my apartment… well… hotel room, to try to clear my head. I hailed a taxi to get there faster, even when I knew it was only a couple blocks away. I just had this feeling that something would go horribly wrong at any minute. Fortunately, nothing did, and I arrived at my room with no incidents. I flopped on my queen sized bed with an exhausted sigh.

"Nothing would do me better than a good hours rest." I told myself, turning onto my side for further comfort of the soft mattress. The pillow felt warm and extremely soft under my head. Soon, to my relief, sleep overcame me.

I woke to a dreadful scream of a woman. My eyes flew open and I jumped onto my feet. There in front of me stood my waitress. She normally brought me food at this time, but now the tray was on the ground with what used to be my spaghetti and meatball dinner now slayed all over the hotel rug. She was trembling all over, and screamed again when I stood. My eyes tried to follow her gaze, but I found nothing different around or behind me. Then, her eyes met mine, and I knew that it wasn't something near me. _It was me_. My gaze searched for any other emotion than horror, but failed to find otherwise.

"Pauline? What's the matter?" I asked hesitantly, taking a step toward her, but still stayed on my bed.

The waitress only screamed again, louder this time, and backed away.

"Pauline, I don't understand! What's wrong?!" I asked again, louder this time. Apparently it was too much for the poor lady, for she then fell on the floor in a faint.

I jumped off of the bed and ran to her side. Just before I could touch her however, a group of bell-boys came running in, and all stopped and stared.

"It wasn't me! She just fainted right here. I swear!" I insisted to clear up any suspicion. Unfortunately, the new arrivals didn't understand me. Instead, they all moved to grab some sort of object and rushed in upon me, shouting all sorts of things that shouldn't be repeated.

"Hey! What're you- OW!"

The first object came and whacked me over the head. My outcry only seemed to rouse up the boys' wrath, and more things cracked smartly on my back and head.

My anger was now confusion. I was a popular customer in the hotel. Practically every worker here knows me. So… why were they acting so violently against me?

The end of a broom smacked across my nose, and my control snapped. I threw my hand up and felt a solid smack. Then the poor boy went flying back into the wall, breaking through into the next room.

I stared in shock at the blown in wall, terrified at what I did. Another stroke of an object sent pain shooting through my leg, and something awakened in me; something strong and powerful. Something wise. Something overflowing with anger and hate towards the humans with their sticks. It attached itself to my soul and suddenly my senses sharpened to an ultimate level.

Another object came flying down, but this time, hit nothing but air when I darted away. In one fluid motion, I came back at the attackers and disarmed them. But that was not enough. The creature within me wanted more. My body started to move unconsciously and I felt like I was in a dream. Everyone was falling, screaming for help or of pain. Something entered my mouth and I bit down hard. A shriek of agony, then the boy I bit collapsed under my weight. The rage flowing through me demanded a harsh punishment for all the enemies before me. It wanted blood. My mind immediately agreed and my head darted to the prisoner's exposed neck. Before I was able to follow through with the killing stroke, a searing pain stretched across my nose and cheek. I howled in agony, then the creature that had taken me dispersed back into the depths of my soul, leaving me and my own mind to act for ourselves.

I stumbled off the boy I had almost killed, horrified at my actions. Then my eyes found the ragged wound on his arm from when I bit him. The bite was large, and wrapped all around the width of the arm.

_My mouth isn't that big_…

I held my hands out in front of me, and gasped at the sight. No longer were they human hands, but huge, black, canine paws. All at once the reality of my situation became clear. I was no longer the human girl, Tinora Kanin, but a huge, dog-like creature.

Another searing pain shot across the top of my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. My eyes looked at the doorway to see a bunch of police standing or kneeling, aiming the points of their guns straight at me. Luckily, they didn't go on an all-out fire on me. I was a strange thing to encounter, and, in my mind, I knew that they weren't about to enrage something they didn't understand.

I opened my mouth to say something, then shut it again, realizing that, now an animal, I could no longer speak the human tongue. There was no worth to even try communicating in that fashion. Instead of speaking, I could only sit still and do nothing, for I was vastly unknowledgeable to the body language of a dog, as you could imagine.

When I got to the point of doing something to stop the stand-off, movement from the side of the police group caught my eye. One of them, a middle aged, kind looking man, had stood from his crouching position. As I eyed him, he dropped his gun, and started to walk toward me slowly, murmuring soothing words to me.

_Yes! I have a chance to get help!_

Forgetting my current state, I, following my feelings of excitement, leapt up on my paws and started towards the policeman. As you probably guessed, it didn't go well. The moment I stepped forward, a gun rang out, and, yet again, pain shot through my senses. Luckily for me however, the bullet only grazed my nose. How every shot was only grazing me, I wasn't able to find out.

Horrified, I could feel myself slipping once again into the clutches of whatever creature resided within me. Within seconds, blackness swallowed my vision, and then dispersed for me to see my damage. Every policeman was down on the floor, knocked out, and wounded in some way, scattered all around the room.

I blinked with shock, confusion, and fright. The destruction was only getting worse every time I lost control. My hind quarters bumped into something, making me spin to see what it was.

I had bumped into a mirror that hung on the wall. Within the slightly blurred surface, the image of a huge, black animal was held. Eyes like shards of ice returned my scared stare while I looked at my reflection. The fur around the mouth and paws was stained with blood. The fur itself was long, wild, and as black as death. The size of it was what helped me understand the frightened reactions of the waitress, bell-boys, and policemen. I, before having paws and fur, used to always dress in front of that mirror, and remembered vividly how high my reflection stood. The image of me now, was taller than what it used to be; I estimated by nearly ten inches. From my normal height of five foot three, I sprouted to just over six feet.

I felt a deep rumbling in my chest, and saw the wolf reflection draw its lips in a menacing growl, revealing large, pearl-white, razor sharp teeth.

_No. No, that's not me… It's not me… I-I can't stand it!_

Without thinking, my forelegs shot out, and my huge, canine paws crashed into the mirror surface, sending it shattering to all ends of the room. Then, feeling overwhelmed with the past ten minutes, I bounded out the door to the nearest stairwell, shoving past any people who were disturbed by the ruckus in my original room. At the stairs, I tripped over my new paws, and sent myself tumbling down the two levels. Falling onto the flat, grey-tiled floor of the hotel entry, I stood back up, and steered to the glass doors. The screams around me fueled my legs to run even faster. Wherever there were people, I was a danger.

When the sight of the New York streets rushed before me, I felt relieved and bounded even faster, crashing through the fancy hotel doors into the street. My relief quickly dissipated, however, for not ten yards away on every side was a large group of people who had gathered to hear what the police were doing at the hotel. I made a dead stop in front of every person in the area, totally feeling flustered and angry that there was no place to run without having people around.

Rain pattered on my back and head, making my ears flick irritably. Then a large drop fell into the bloody bullet graze along my muzzle. The sharp pain caused a low bark to escape through my gritted, canine teeth. The crowd that had stood dazed and shocked now started to holler and shout in fear. New policemen entered my vision, some herding the people away into nearby buildings, while others quickly surrounded me with their guns pointed threateningly towards me.

A gap in the police ring caught my eye, and I didn't hesitate to take it. Just through, I had to stop once again to stop from bowling over a young man who only looked sixteen. I snorted in annoyance, trying to dodge around him, but to no avail for the boy only darted in my way again.

"Get out of my way!"

My words only came out as sharp barks and growls.

_This is impossible!_

My anguish turned into a long, frustrated howl into the sky that echoed amongst the tall buildings. Feeling beat, I slumped to the ground and put my chin on the hard pavement, wrapping my paws over my muzzle as I did so.

My eyes were covered, and my nose filled with the smell of the road, but I could still hear where everyone was, and I knew that they were all - including the police who were helping the people to safety - circled around me, staring at my large, quivering, black form. Some, who had dogs of their own, recognized my behavior and could tell I wasn't going to fight. These men murmured amongst themselves as to how I appeared at the hotel, how to approach me, and where I was to go after I was safely put away. A tentative hand brushed my neck, making me jump and causing all of the cops to flinch back.

Suddenly, the sound of papers and dropped umbrellas scraping the ground caught my attention. I swiveled my ears to the sound to better hear the deep thrum of powerful rockets and air that forced the items along the ground to skitter away in all directions. Rapidly, the sound ceased, and metal clunked heavily, yet neatly, against the street.

"I've got it handled boys." A deep, familiar voice hummed rather metallically. "Go ahead and scuttle around looking for clues of the accident and what-not. That's what you're best at isn't it?"

The sarcasm dripped from the newcomer's voice and seemed to seep through my thick fur to penetrate my memories. My recognition of who the man was didn't help my mood any. I had met him before. Actually, many times, because he was often at the science fair finals I was always in. Not to mention he's the most popular guy in the whole of New York. The thought that Tony Stark-aka Iron Man- the leader of the famous team of crime-fighters, the Avengers, was here and taking responsibility of the trouble I had caused, only chilled my soul to make me quiver even more with fright. If SHEILD was involving themselves in such short notice, then I was being targeted as a terrible threat to New York. Besides, I never knew Tony to be an animal kind of guy.

The police quickly departed, leaving me to shiver on my own in the pathetic position I was in.

"Let's see what we have here then." I heard Tony say behind me. I heard him step forward, the metal of his suit making a soft clanking sound on the wet ground. He stepped again. Each time he moved, fear rippled through my thoughts. Finally he stopped, merely a foot away from me. "Where'd you come from my large, furry menace?" He asked, making my fur stand on end with the ending term

Finally, I couldn't stand it. I had to run away. Anywhere was better than there. But _Iron Man_ was standing right next to me. I couldn't just up and run.

Tony moved again, this time closer to my head. His cold, metal fingers barely brushed the fur on my forehead before I was on my paws and running down the street. His touch had startled me to the point where all my already strained thoughts, inner feelings, and senses screamed to be away from it all. My long stride carried me farther than I expected, but it wasn't fast enough. I could easily hear the powerful thrum of Tony's suit as he flew in pursuit only meters behind me. He suddenly sped up alongside me, and I cast him a look full of my storm of emotions. Without hesitation, Tony's arm rose right in front of my face and a blue glow started to burn in his metal palm. The first energy blast whizzed a centimeter from my nose as I luckily missed a step in my stride and stumbled, avoiding the second shot. Now Tony rose into the air right above me, and started to fire numerous times, all of which I dodged and jumped away from, but only just. Without warning, a deadweight slammed onto my back and my legs buckled from underneath me. I could feel my breath being pushed from my lungs while Tony sat on me, keeping a tight hold around my neck. The world started to spin, and black seeped into the edges of my vision. I started to let myself go into the grips of the darkness, when something loud echoed in my ears, and Tony's weight instantly was removed from my body. Without thinking, I stumbled to my paws, and started to run again, not stopping until I eventually collapsed in an alley exhausted and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I awoke the next morning with the hot noon sun beating down on my back. My eyes were blurry from sleep and my whole body ached from exhaustion. I opened my mouth in a large yawn and I stretched out, my hands going out in front of me while my spine curved sharply behind. The action soothed my sore muscles. I opened my eyes, wider this time, to see my surroundings better. At first I saw the graffiti covered walls of the alley, and stopped in confusion. Then I looked down and slumped over, feeling tired once more when my huge, black, canine paws reminded me of the previous incident in my hotel room.

My name is Tinora Kanin. I'm a rich, brilliant, popular, sixteen-year-old tomboy with a summer house on a private island, lots of friends, and a room in the most expensive hotel in New York. Or, at least that was who I was previously. Now… I was broke, a wanted criminal in SHEILD, unpopular, and cast out of house and home with no hope of returning. Everyone, I knew, would have passed on a rumor of my being dead, and everyone would believe it.

Hesitantly I stuck my nose out into the street and sniffed. Me eyes searched for danger, but found none. The whole area was devoid of life. I could faintly hear the sound of choppers in the air a distance off, and sirens on police cars that were most likely patrolling the streets a ways down from my alley.

_The main part of New York is in a lockdown. Everyone's evacuated._ I realized, not sure as to how I should feel about the news.

A low grumble vibrated in my stomach, bringing to my attention how hungry I was. Checking twice more and deciding that it was safe, I padded out onto the hot pavement. Immediately I started on my way down the street towards the nearest bakery. Upon reaching it, I shoved through the unlocked door, knowing that no one would be within. The sweet smell of recently cooked bread filled my nose, and I felt drool begin to form in my mouth and along my lips. Seconds later, I was ripping apart fresh loaves of bread and gobbling up the soft interior greedily. Relishing how easily it slid down my throat and filled my mouth with its warm taste. All too soon, however, the loaves within my reach were gone, and hunger still gnawed at my belly. Frustrated with how much my canine body needed to feel full, I exited the bakery, and started down again to the next place that would provide food.

An hour later, after raiding two other grocery stores and one restaurant garbage can, I finally felt comfortably full. No longer having the matter of food on my mind, I started to work my mind around my situation.

_First, I'm a dog. Scientifically it's impossible, but there have been similar cases like mine in the past._ A shudder went through me when the thought of the Hulk entered my mind, and I realized that I might be seeing him soon as an enemy if I prove too much trouble for the police. _That's another thing. Somehow I turned into a gigantic dog. If the police, or even SHEILD, get a hold of me, there's a strong chance I'd be put through scientific tests. It's not every day you see an oversized, black colored wolf roaming the streets._ I paused a moment, letting that thought sink in so I could analyze it further. _The only thing I could hope for is my re-transformation into my normal self._ I shook my head angrily at the thought. _No. No, that wouldn't help at all. Questions would arise as to where I went, or how I survived the attack. People would become suspicious… My only chance is to leave New York. There's no other possible solution. _A groan escaped my mouth at he thought. _Even if I did manage to leave New York, where would I run too? Word would leak all over the world of a huge wolf that was wildly roaming from place to place…That was pretty much how Bruce Banner lived and look at how that turned out. I guess being an Avenger is a good turnout… but what are the chances of my joining them?_

Those troubling thoughts and many more plagued my mind for the rest of the day while I roamed the streets. Only when the orange colors of evening started to turn into the black of night did I come back to the present in search of a new place to sleep. Soon, I found a small, cozy den that I guessed had been used as a hide-out for younger children before they had left. The doorway was small and it proved difficult to travel through, but once inside, I had plenty of room to stand and move around until I lay down to sleep. Moments after, I became drowsy, and I fell into the darkness of an endless oblivion.

I woke the next morning to the sounds of police sirens and men shouting. A pale morning light filtered through the small doorway of my hideaway, telling me that it was early in the morning. Hurried feet continuously ran past along the street, and the occasional car would drive past every few minutes.

I figured it would be best to wait out the search. My hole was small enough not to be seen easily, so it seemed to be the best possible place to stay. Nagging thoughts in the back of my mind warned that I would be trapped if I was found for there was no other way in or out, but I shoved it aside.

_What are the chances of them finding me?_ I asked myself stubbornly. As the minutes passed, I took to listening to the people around me as a way to occupy myself. Conversations bubbled in and out as they moved from one place to another.

"Go and check the next street… We've covered this area!—Nothing here either!—Or here!—What exactly are we looking for again?... A six foot tall black wolf… Right, got it." So on and so forth. Eventually the chaos died down, and police were no longer rushing from place to place. I had no way of telling how long I laid in my hiding spot, but it seemed like hours, which it probably was. Through my small entrance I could see many feet now that only moved occasionally when the police shifted their standing positions. I could hear orders to move onto the next block to search and, soon after, all but three police moved out of my vision range. Car motors turned on and the police raced away to their next area.

Words caught my ears and I strained to hear what the remaining three police were saying.

"We're almost done with the estimated area of inhabitance. What'll happen if we don't find the target?" a younger voice asked.

"We have to find the target." And older voice replied, "It's killed three of our men and injured the rest along with the young lads we found with them. Only one managed to come out of the incident virtually uninjured, besides a bump on his head."

"It's a threat to the New York population. As long as that monster is free, no one is safe here." A female voice spoke up.

"Yeah, but… What _if_ we don't find it?"

"There is no _if_." The older man shot back "It's necessary we catch it. There's no other option."

The words drowned out momentarily as a late starting police car drove past unnecessarily close to my hiding spot, throwing up dust from the road that tickled my nose. In an attempt not to sneeze, I shoved my muzzle into my paws. The tickling stopped and I returned to my sitting position, only to have a split second warning from another tickle before I sneezed.

"Did you hear that?" I heard the female police ask, her feet shifting to face my general direction.

I froze, waiting for what would happen next.

"You're just hearing things Clarise." The older police spoke. "It was just the wind or something."

"You're probably right." Clarise agreed, turning back away. "Let's get going."

"No, wait!" The young man interrupted. I could see all their feet turn towards me again as I assumed they followed a pointing finger. "There's a small hole in that broken wall. We must have missed it while we were searching."

_Crap!_

The younger feet jogged to my position, stopping merely feet away from my exit while the two older people shouted for him to get away. Seconds later, hands came down, closely followed by a young man's face.

Immediately a growl rumbled in my throat and I drew my lips back, revealing my long, sharp teeth. I huddled to the back of my hole with my hackles raised while I glared at the police with an icy stare, daring him to move closer.

A new hand entered the entrance, and yanked the young man away from its opening. The older man started to shout at him for not following orders, but was stopped at the info of my presence inside the old child hideaway. The old man grumbled something, then the sound of a gun being cocked echoed in my ears.

I frantically looked for another exit but found none. The gun point came down with the older police's face that was twisted in concentration.

_No! No, I can't go like this!_

Panic welling inside me, I did the only thing I could think of. I charged through the entrance, wriggling out on top of the gun and the police before he could shoot properly. Now the other two police were aiming towards me, and I loped away down the street and into a new alley. The sounds of the pursuing police filled my mind while I ran around the different corners and bends that opened before me.

Without warning, a wall towered over me and I did all I could do to stop from running headlong into it. There was no other way but behind me, and the three police were already inside the alley blocking that. Moments later they rounded the corner, guns pointed my direction.

With no fight within me, I collapsed on the ground and covered my face with my paws, whining pitifully while I waited for death to claim me. Instead, sounds of fighting started and lasted for only a few seconds. Silence filled my ears and the metallic smell of blood flooded my nose making me shudder. I chanced a look, and was shocked to find all the police lying dead yards away from me. Then my eyes fell upon black boots that stood in the middle of the scene. I heightened my gaze and fear crawled into my heart making me shiver.

Standing before me was a thin man clad in gold and black leather clothes with a green cape hanging over his shoulders and majestically falling down behind him. His eyes were a stunning shade of green and his shoulder length hair the same shade of black as my fur. Atop his head was placed a strange, but all-too-familiar helmet that had horns curving gracefully out of it.

My fear was overwhelming as the evil God of mischief, Loki, stood in front of me, wielding a silver blade that gleamed in my eyes and sang a soft song of death.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Loki stood before me, staring at me with his evil green eyes while his blade, red with blood, hung loosely, but readily, at his side.

The events of the past two days crashed down on me all at once at that very moment, making me heave and shiver violently.

"Please," I whimpered, "Please don't kill me."

Loki just looked at me with a thin smile.

_Is that sadness in his eyes?_ I wondered, but dismissed the thought as it was only an impossible hope.

"Please!" I howled, louder now. "My life is ruined! There's nothing left for me! Everything's gone; my home, friends, family… even myself. But don't take my life away from me too! Just…" I got quieter and finished before I continued, knowing that it was hopeless to talk anymore.

I looked into Loki's eyes, begging him to turn around and leave me. At first, nothing happened between us. Neither of us moved. Then Loki took a step forward.

Is armed hand moved up in front of him, the silver blade catching the light of the noon sun and shone bright in my wide, fearful eyes. He started advancing closer, closing me in against the alley wall.

My side pressed hard against the wall, my fur bristling furiously as I watched Loki come closer and closer until he was towering above my crouched form. My eyes followed his every move, huge and full of fear. The dagger moved.

"No! Please!" I begged, crouching closer to the ground as the deadly weapon rose higher, "PLEASE!" The dagger was almost above his head. Not able to look any longer, I buried my face into my large paws, waiting for the pain of the blade to slice through my pelt.

Nothing happened.

I waited longer, not daring to look in fear that Loki wanted me to watch as the blade fell into me. Still nothing. I began to think that Loki had left and debated whether to uncover my face or stay huddled when fingers brushed through my bristling neck fur, making me flinch horribly. The hand withdrew quickly, but soon was back into my fur. The fingers reached further until they touched my skin.

I stayed huddled, fearfully waiting for the pain of death to claim me.

_He's probably moving my fur to be able to have nothing in the way of the blade. _ I thought horrified, _I could stop him. I could get up and run away. Maybe I could bite him… _ The thought of defying the evil god vanished as quickly as they came. _There's no way I'll win a fight against Loki._

Just when I thought I was done for, a soothing feeling started on my neck. A light scratching that somehow warmed my whole body. Loki's fingers rubbed along my skin, where, I realized, I had a horrible itch.

Despite how good his rubbing felt, I couldn't relax. Nothing but confusion swirled inside me.

_He's… petting me? But, he was about to kill me. The dagger… where is it?_

A mixture of a growl and a purr rumbled in my chest when I couldn't figure out what was happening.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," Loki spoke for the first time since he first appeared, "That feels good doesn't it?" His rubbing became slightly rougher and harder and started to spread along the length of my neck.

"D-don't. Stop… touching…" My voice trailed off when his fingers hit under my ears, pleasantly ridding the spot of any itch. My head unconsciously turned to guide his hand down under my jaw where an annoying prickling had pestered me for the past few hours, exposing my face. Annoyingly, a low rumble of a purr escaped my throat. Now his focus was around my jaw and ears, and nothing I could do stopped my tail from lightly thumping against the ground.

"There. That's better isn't it?" Loki whispered softly, "Do you still want me to stop?"

At first his words didn't sink into my mind. The wonderful feeling of irritating pricks and itches being dispelled had my full attention. Only when I was about to speak did I fully realized what he had said. My eyes flew open and my head shot up to stare into Loki's startled face.

"Y-you… you understand me?!"

"Of course." I snorted at the insulted look on his face when he continued, "I'm a god of Asguard. I probably would have some magic to use from time to time."

"Is that how you escaped then?" I huffed in annoyance.

"Of course not! I don't have that sort of magic, or any that strong at least." He waved his hand dismissively.

"But how?" I insisted stubbornly.

Loki didn't say anything for a moment. Only when I bared my teeth warningly did he answer.

"I have outside connections."

"_Outside connections_?" I repeated disbelievingly. Then a thought struck me.

'_Or any that strong'? Who has strong magic that would help Loki…_ The answer seemed to speed past my brain and run straight out onto my tongue.

"The Enchantress?!"

"Hm… You do have a sharp mind. A lot like Tony Stark's if I do say so myself."

"I have nothing to do with him!" I shouted, suddenly remembering my run-in with Tony the day I transformed.

"Hm-hm. And I'm sure Stark feels the same way." Loki murmured thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Honestly, I really didn't want to know, but it was too late to say it.

"Haven't you wondered how he was thrown off of you?"

"I haven't been able to think about it very much today." I muttered, turning my head away to look anywhere else but at Loki. I knew where the conversation was going. "But, as a guess, _you_ were the one that forced him off."

"I have a feeling it wasn't a guess. You sure you're not related or something?" His voice was held the same tone as it has been. The difficulty of figuring out if he was joking or being serious annoyed me.

"Shut up!" I growled angrily, snapping with my teeth towards Loki's hand. "I'm not related to Stark in any way! I'm just smart, that's all!"

"Of course you are." Loki soothed, "I didn't mean to compare you to Stark. You're much better than him in every way."

"Why should I listen to you?" I growled, still angry. "You're a wanted criminal. If I let loose a howl right now, the police would hear and come running. At the sight of you, SHEILD would immediately be notified, and the Avengers will be sent to capture you again."

"And then what?" Loki stabbed back, "I haven't mentioned this yet, but Stark thinks it was you who threw him off and left his suit battered. You've injured innocent men. What would stop them from catching you too?"

"It wouldn't matter anyway." I decided with a sigh, my anger ebbing, "There's no hope for me. I'll be found again, and again, and again, until I'm caught. The Avengers are, honestly, more skilled than you in many ways. There's no chance I'll last long… You needed the help of the Enchantress to escape Asguard unnoticed. I don't have anyone like that."

A moment of silence ensued for many minutes before I spoke again.

"Why are you here, Loki?"

"I would think the answer is obvious. I'm here to get my revenge on the Avengers."

"Of course. I should have guessed." I snapped, annoyed once again, "I knew you would want something around those lines. What I meant was why are you _here_, as in in front of me making conversation?"

"Ah, well, when I first returned to Midguard, my only plan was to break apart the Avengers. But I soon found a section of a newspaper that had an intriguing article on it. It was the one you wrote about the Avengers. I felt it would be important to find you, and I did, after much research of course."

"Research? All right. What did you find about me?" I challenged.

"Your name is Tinora Kanin. You have no middle name as far as you remember. You're sixteen years old. Before the previous happenings, you had long brown hair, brown eyes, tanned skin from being outside so much, and you stood five feet, three inches tall. No family due to a tragic car crash while you were little. You're rich because you won the lottery. The ticket was a prize from a science competition. You've been excused from going to school. Your brain has exceeded that of a more-than-average scholar. You've personally met each of the Avengers. All except for, strangely enough, Banner. You don't have a job, but occasionally you write articles for the newspaper, of which mainly focus on the Avengers or SHEILD. In your free time you read, research, or just walk around the streets looking for conversation."

I was, honestly, shocked. Loki had just summed up my life in a nutshell.

"Yeah, well, none of that matters now." Sadness washed over me and I slumped back to the ground, "I have no way of getting my life back. It's all gone now."

A moment passed before Loki spoke. "You can always start over."

"Pfft! Yeah, sure. And I may as well try to make pigs fly while I'm at it." I expressed.

"What?"

"It's an expression… That's beside the point!" I growled, "I'm a giant, six-foot tall, jet black wolf for crying out loud! How am I supposed to 'start over' like this?! There's no one who can help me!" I let my head fall onto my paws in defeat. "No one will help even if they could. I'm a deadly monster to everyone in New York." Loki's hand came down and started to rub my head. It felt strange. A dangerous criminal was sitting right next to me, _petting_ my head. Normally, I would have not let him within thirty feet of me without SHEILD hearing about it. But now, I had no arguments. Being a wanted criminal really does change one's opinions about another.

"You know, _I'm_ here." Loki started, "I'm willing to help you."

"And how will you do that? There's no possible way you could help me. Unless you can somehow turn me back into a human—" I stopped right there, for a strange tingling was spreading through my body. I could hear Loki muttering something, but my attention was elsewhere.

Right in front of my eyes, I watched as my paws trembled, then started to shrink, gradually losing fur and growing gently longer. Not moments after, I was holding my hands up in front of my now flat, furless face. Loki's hand had moved away, but I didn't take notice. The feeling of moving my fingers was like having butterflies in my stomach. I felt my face, and found that my nose was in its proper place, only an inch away from my face. My joy was too much to bear; I stood up excitedly, looking myself up and down to find everything the way it used to be.

"That transformation left you a few changes." I heard Loki speak up, reminding me that he was still there.

"What do you mean? I'm back! I'm not a dog anymore!" I jabbered happily.

Without a word, Loki reached into his belt and unsheathed his dagger he had before.

_So that's where it went._ I thought, and then stopped as its reflection caught my figure. I reached out and grabbed the blade from his outstretched hand, gasping at what I saw. My hair was no longer the beautiful brown color it once was. Now, it was jet-black, and was short. It stuck out in all directions, as if it was off of an anime movie. It wasn't bad looking, I realized; it actually more like a sporty, tom-boyish haircut that I could get in a hair salon on the street. But my hair wasn't what frightened me the most. It was my eyes that made me gasp. They were still the icy color of blue that I had seen in the mirror at my hotel room when I had first transformed. On the tip of my nose and over its bridge to reach across my cheekbone, I saw two very visible scars. Those, I assumed, came from the bullet grazes from the day earlier.

"I-I don't understand. Don't I get my brown hair and eyes back?"

"I'm afraid not." Loki whispered, reaching out and grabbed the knife from my hands, standing as he did so. "The transformation must have fused itself permanently to your DNA, changing your physical features to match the ones of the wolf. I guess it does the same to your clothes."

I looked down, and realized he was right. Instead of the blue jeans and yellow t-shirt that I was last wearing, I had on all black clothes. A skin-tight shirt that covered most of my shoulders and came up around my neck had replaced the yellow shirt, and looser black pants instead of the jeans. My black boots was the same, to my relief. They were my favorite pair of shoes.

"H-how am I supposed to start over like this? And… and you said it fused itself to my DNA. What happens if I transform again?"

"There is no doubt that it will happen. As for how to start over, you just do that, as someone else."

"What do you mean? I'm still Tinora Kanin."

"Yes, but to everyone else in New York, Tinora is dead, vanished as suddenly as the wolf had appeared. What would people think when some stranger walks up to them claiming to be Tinora Kanin?"

"But I am Tinora Kanin!" I shouted angrily.

"I know that, and you know that, but does everyone else?"

Loki's reasoning made sense. But I refused to give up so easily.

"I can find help from SHEILD while I'm still human. They would help if I explained."

"It's not that simple."

"Of course it's simple! I could just tell Fury that I'm the Wolf and that I never intended to hurt anyone."

"And then what?! Fury wouldn't chance having his men injured. He'd help you, sure, but only after you've been put in a cage. But that's not where it stops!" Loki went on, cutting off any words I had attempted to speak, "He'd go on testing you in an attempt to understand what you are. You'd become a lab experiment. Even then, your powers would still be as alien to him as before. Their weak minds aren't made to understand these types of things. Only you and I can fully understand."

"I can personally ask for Tony Stark to examine me. He's smarter than me! He'd be able to understand."

"Ah, yes. Well, let's refresh ourselves with how Tony feels about you right now. I seem to recall mentioning that it was I who forced Stark off of you. In his mind, it was you who left him in the dust with a dent in his armor. If he even hears that you are the wolf, he'd make your life miserable."

I felt defeated. Loki had a good point to everything he said about my ideas. Along with defeat, I felt confused and disoriented. First, Loki was about to kill me, then he was petting me, trying to help me see the positive in my ruined life, and now he's just snuffing out every spark of hope I had of getting professional help.

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" I shouted, tears beginning to run down my cheeks, "You're telling me to start my life over, but I can't get any help from anyone while I do that! What are you saying?!"

"There is no one who can help you. Everyone would just hold you down."

"I don't understand you! First you tell me that life's good and dandy! Now you say there's no hope for me but I should try to make a new life anyway!"

"That's not what I said!"

"Yes it is!" My tears subsided as anger bubbled up inside me. "THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING! I'M GOING TO TRANSFORM AGAIN SO I NEED HELP, BUT THERE'S NO HELP POSSIBLE! OH, WELL! I MAY AS WELL TRY TO LIVE ANYWAY EVEN WHEN THERE'S NO HOPE LEFT FOR ME IN MY MISERABLE, RUINED, MUTANT LIFE!"

Loki's eyes were inches away from mine as I towered over him. I could sense his heart beating faster than normal, but his mind was still at ease. He backed out from under me, calmly stepping a pace back to give me space. His horns bobbed temptingly in front of my nose and I resisted darting out to grab them and use them to throw Loki around.

_Wait… His horns are in front of my face…_ I looked back at my hands and cried out. Once again, I had huge, clawed paws.

"Y-you've got to be k-kidding me!"

"It seems that your transformations can be triggered by extremities in your emotions."

I no longer felt angry with Loki. Instead, as if my vision was cleared by my change, I understood what he was telling me.

"You think you can help me?"

"I can do more than help you." Loki murmured, reaching out to stroke my muzzle, "I can teach you to control the Wolf inside you. I can teach you how to transform on your own accord. You can be the ultimate canine." He moved my face down to meet his vibrant green eyes, "I can help you become the best you can be in your new life, but only if you are fully willing to listen to me."

"Yeah, but… you're one of the biggest criminals in history. How can I trust you?"

"I'm not all bad. The only reason I had tried to take over your world was because I was forced to. I felt that I had to prove my worth to my father. All I need is a chance. You give me that, and I'll let you choose whether to continue learning from me."

He finished, and I took a moment to think over the possibilities. I go with him, and my life would take a turn for the better. Everything I had would be mine again. I'd be able to live my life like nothing happened.

I stared into Loki's eyes for any trace of deception, but only found pure honesty in their green depths.

"Fine. I'll give you a week to show the other side of yourself. Until then, I'm willing to let you teach me."

"You made the right choice."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Ok. Now breathe deeply, and relax." Loki instructed. I complied, filling my chest with air and releasing it slowly while resting my wrists on my knees.

It had been two days since Loki saved me, and already I can tell he's different than what everyone says he is. Right away, he had taken me to his hide-out hidden deep in the streets of New York and started to teach me. Now, we sat across from each other cross-legged, doing breathing exercises that would help me keep my transformation in check along with my emotions. I didn't understand at first, but then he reminded me of Banner and how his anger brought the Hulk. Apparently, my condition was very similar. Any extreme emotion I get leads to my transforming.

I admit, I was glad I decided to allow Loki to help me, It's proven to be very beneficial towards my self-control. But a tickling doubt still roamed my mind. Despite all he's done for me, Loki was still a dangerous criminal, and should, honestly, still be behind bars, or wherever, on Asguard. During the times we've sat and breathed like we are now, I've run a plan through my mind. I knew my feelings towards Loki would not change over a period of a week. In my mind, I would have some sort of control of myself by then. Nothing would hurt me if I, after my week was over, expose that he was at large in New York. I would be honored in fact. It would also be the perfect time for me to tell who I really was. Tinora Kanin would be, indeed, very different looking than how I am now, but my personality is still Tinora. And, who knows, If Fury truly finds out who I am and what happened to me, I could possibly get a job with him. Now who doesn't want a job like that?

"This just going to be like the past times?" I wondered lazily while I breathed out once again.

"Actually, I was planning on having you try to transform this time." Loki replied, his eyes shut while he too continued the breathing exercise.

"What?" I exclaimed, in-taking a sharp breath.

"Breathe slowly." He reminded me.

I took some calming breaths before continuing. "I'm not sure about you, but I'd like not to transform anymore."

"Oh, but I do." Loki proclaimed.

"But, doesn't that defeat the point of me controlling it so I don't transform again?"

"The wolf within you is much more than just a spirit. Now it's a real thing, your real protector. Take that and lock it away, you will be locking away your only protection from harm, not to mention a part of yourself." Loki murmured, "Do you understand, Stray?"

I didn't reply, for the name he called me weighed heavily on my mind. Not two hours after Loki saved me, he decided to give me a new name so I wouldn't be fully recognized. 'Canine Stray'. The first part was after I insisted to keep at least on part of my name, Kanin. The next was more symbolic than anything.

The first time he called me 'Stray' I became furious and transformed again. It was then that he explained that the new name was so I could protect my friends from the truth until I had everything under control. I didn't like it, but it was necessary.

"I don't understand. I lived just fine without the Wolf. Why can't I do so now?"

"Before, it was only a slight belief that you had a Wolf spirit that protected you; a mere story to entertain you. That story has become reality. The Wolf is now a permanent part of your soul. It changed you so it could connect easier with your thoughts and feelings.

"There is no possible way to hold it down completely. The only way is to learn to control it, is by handling its control over you. Like Bruce Banner, you need to learn how to be one with the beast inside you. That way, it wouldn't sneak up on you and take you by surprise. You'd control its initial actions."

I thought for a moment, and then replied. "There's no way I can just bury it and be normal again?"

"I'm afraid not…not unless you are willing to put half of your conscience away and live with only half of yourself. If Banner was to lose the Hulk, I'd imagine that he would be in danger of dying." Loki paused, then changed the subject. "Now I want you to, while breathing slowly and deeply, imagine yourself as the Wolf. Think of every detail."

As soon as he said it, the image of myself with black fur, ice-blue eyes, and huge, blood-stained, white teeth popped into my mind. I struggled not to push it away, for I had promised to let Loki teach me, and he was trying to do just that. I breathed in, and pictured the huge black, clawed paws; the tail that would swish back and forth even when I didn't want it to; and even the feeling of the prickles under my fur when I couldn't reach an itch filled my head.

For a moment, I felt a slight tingling, but it stopped almost as soon as I noticed it. I opened my eyes and gasped as I saw the huge black paws on the floor in front of me.

"That was excellent!" I heard Loki proclaim.

"Hm… If you say so…" my dislike was evident, but it didn't phase Loki one bit.

"Now imagine yourself as you would be in your human form. Every detail."

I concentrated, but a strange barrier seemed to be blocking my mind. I tried harder, breathed slower, while I conjured a picture of myself. My memories, thoughts, and physical attributes formed the best image I ever have thought of. A slight tingling started, but less than before. The wall was no longer there. It was now replaced by a wire fence that seemed to move on forever in all directions. I focused harder, only to gasp with excursion and pain from the effort, yet I still tried. The fence was all around me now, caging me in in a wire sphere that grew ever smaller. Nothing was around me now; only a choking blackness. Deep howls and barks echoed from all around me, pounding in my ears. I felt myself slipping into the nightmare, horribly caught in the claws of the beast inside. Then the cage ripped apart, the suffocating darkness dispersed, and the wolf spirit let a loud, long howl before falling silent. My eyes opened and I would have made a giant jerk with surprise were I not totally physically drained, because Loki's face was close to under a foot away from my own.

"Rest. That took a lot out of you."

I didn't complain, but I couldn't help but to feel unable to rest when a criminal's face was so close. Not to mention, now that I gave the effort, I noticed that I was once again human, and I was resting on Loki's knees.

"Did… I…?" I couldn't finish, but Loki caught what I meant.

"No. You didn't change on your own. I could tell you were failing and decided to intervene."

"Why... What happened?"

"I hadn't known your wolf spirit was so strong. When you tried to change, it fought back. It - if you are not with me - can possibly destroy your very soul and turn fully into a wild dog. You would never transform again into a human." He paused to think, and then continued a moment later, "I doubt that was the only thing. (1) You don't fully know what you look like exactly, and your personality is changing to match more with the Wolf. (2) Your past memories are not with you anymore. Those would, most certainly, be contributing factors."

"But… Why would… it destroy…" Loki saved me from speaking further.

"I believe it may be as new to this concept as you are. Of course, it has attached itself with you so you can be safer. It's just unused to the strength it must have gained by the new bond."

"Hmmm… So… what can I…"

"The best thing for you to do is probably to familiarize yourself with your new life, Stray. When you are rested, I think it best for me to take you where the streets are not abandoned. There, you may have time to adjust to your new look. And, while there, I must insist you try to find ways to connect to the wolf spirit as to grow a stronger bond."

"What will… that help…"

"It'll help with your control. Right now, whenever the wolf is released, it believes you are in genuine danger and refuses to let you transform back. It's this refusal stage that is the biggest threat to you. With a stronger bond, the two of you will be able to understand each other with greater ease, and, possibly, you will be able to use some of the canine attributes in human form."

"Right…" I understood, mostly. But at that moment, I felt the full force of the exhaustion. "Take me… off your… lap… so I can… rest. Don't like… using your… knees as a… pillow." With each word, I seemed to drift farther off into sleep. Fortunately, before I slipped into oblivion, I felt Loki gently lift my head up off his knees and place a pillow in place of them. I passed out just as he walked out of the room.

_Mist. It whirled around my legs at every slight movement. It swirled and wisped atop an un-seeable floor that stretched on into blackness. _

"_Where am I?"_

_Shuffling behind me._

_I spun around, frightened. "Who's there?!"_

_A shadow whisked into the thick fog. Not a second later, another sound from behind._

_I turned again with similar results. "Who's there?!" I repeated into the emptiness._

_A growl rumbled from, seemingly, no-where._

"_Show yourself!" I was shaking all over, but I kept my voice steady, "Don't come close! I… I have a secret weapon that you don't want to meet!" _

_A raspy chuckle echoed. _

"_I- I'm serious! It's a terrifying creature!"_

"_Is that how you see me?" The voice made me jump, but only slightly. It sounded huge; dangerous, but had the feeling of a young girl. It didn't sound female, or male. I couldn't decide. Now a large shadow was galloping around me, making the mist rise higher into the dark air. _

"_Who are you?"_

_The form stopped (the mist continued swirling however) and padded to stand in front of me. "I am you. You are me." A second's pause before the apparition continued, "I am your protector. I am your friend. I am your greatest ally." It moved closer and, breaking through the misty wall, came into full view. "I am your Wolf Spirit."_

"_Y-You?!" I felt terrified now. Standing before me was the thing that ruined my life, Took everything away._

"_Stay calm. I am no threat."_

"_No threat? No threat?! You destroyed me!"_

"_Wrong. I have helped you."_

"_How on earth have you-"_

"_I have prepared you for what will be. The hardest part of your existence on this world has yet to come."_

_The gentleness in the Wolf Spirit's voice softened my heart. I was still distrusting it, but I was no longer frightened. "This isn't the hardest? If not… then what is?"_

"_I'm saddened to say that I cannot tell. If you were to know, the delicate balance of time and reality will be ruined."_

"_How? Why?"_

"_If you were to know, you'd try to stop what is coming."_

_I huffed in annoyance. "So, what can I do?"_

"_Our bond is not yet strong enough. You need to open to me. However, it must be taken slowly. I have yet to fully understand my strength. If we rush to become one not only in body, but in mind, then we will destroy each other."_

_The ground shook._

"_Be careful, young Kanin. Our teacher seeks you to wake."_

I sat up straight, nearly butting heads with Loki.

"Whoa! Startled me, Stray."

"Uh, sorry, Loki. I was just dreaming when you woke me."

"Really? Of what?, just out of curiosity."

"Oh, nothing of importance." The lie came easily. It was a talent I (and I'm ashamed to say) was proud of.

"Right. Well, today's the day you try yourself for a test run in modern society."

The memory sparked bright in my mind, and I stood up readily, clearly showing my excitement.

"Before we go, I want to make a few points. First, I want you to find a mirror and get a good, long look at yourself. That'll help you envision your new form easier when transforming back into a human. Second, this is the third day since the accident. Everyone in New York will know about it. I need you to act like you haven't heard about it at all. Ask people what they have heard. This helps you become more used to people in this form, and it will help us understand what everyone thinks of the mysterious Wolf."

"Sounds good." I yapped happily. "Let's get moving shall we?"

It took two hours to finally reach populated streets. Loki had, and don't ask me how, a hover-type of craft that we rode on. When we were within a quarter mile of the streets, he lowered to the ground and left me to walk the rest of the way, with I didn't complain doing.

Five minutes, and I was walking among the people of New York like I always used to before the accident. The sights took my breath away. I didn't realize until then how much I had missed the city bustle. I was looking around for a good place to start, and immediately found it; an alleyway entrance that led to the street market.

I walked over, feeling happier than ever. My steps were light, swift, and graceful as I broke into an excited run into the market. People were shouting, advertising their wares to the passerby's in an attempt to catch their attentions. The road was blocked off to discourage cars from driving through. Nothing but people filled the streets.

_If there's a better place than this to re-build, then I'm a bird. _ I thought feeling pleased. _Well… here goes._ I walked fully into the street and immediately my eyes were dodging left and right to take everything in. I walked slowly, turning every minute to get better looks at everything. All the colors, lights, sounds, and smells practically overwhelmed my senses, and I loved it. A smile lit my face and I started towards a pastry booth.

"What can I do 'ya for young lady?" the man asked pleasantly. "You look in need of refreshment. May I recommend my fruit tarts? They're my specialty."

"Oh, yes please! How much for the cherry one?" I wondered when a golden brown pastry with thick, red liquid oozing from it caught my eye and nose.

"Good eye! I'd say a dollar, just for the purdy lady."

I dug into my pockets and pulled out a dollar bill that Loki had supplied me with (along with much more) before we left. I handed it to the man who gave me the pastry in a paper bag.

"Thank you!" I piped happily then walked down the road to a bench that was unoccupied to eat my treat. I had only eaten half before I noticed a group of three older teens that were walking my direction.

"Do you believe what the news is saying?" a girl with long, brown hair and blue eyes was asking.

"About that wild phenomenon down at the hotel? It's incredible! I can't believe there's a mutant wolf running around New York!" the girl with shoulder length blond hair and blue eyes next to her replied.

"It's crazy I agree." The last teen, a girl with mid-back length black hair and brown eyes commented.

By then, the trio were right in front of me, and I took the chance to get some answers.

"Um, excuse me!" The three turned to face me. "I couldn't help but to overhear your conversation. What phenomenon?"

"You haven't heard?" the brown-haired girl asked flabbergasted. "A wolf came out of nowhere and injured a total of ten people in the grand hotel downtown. Six of them were policemen, the rest were bellboys."

"The wolf's still out there." The blonde butted in, "It escaped from the police, even from _Tony Stark_ I heard."

"What does it look like?" I asked in fake wonder.

"My aunt was shopping in front of the hotel then the thing burst out." The black haired girl answered, "She called my mom and said that it was huge; over six feet tall! And was black as night, with huge, snow white teeth and claws that were dripping with blood! And she said that it looked straight at her with eyes the color of ice! Can you believe it?!"

"Wow. That's pretty intense."

"Yeah it is!" the brunette spoke up, "I heard that the Avengers are being assembled so they can track it down."

I gulped. "So, does Fury have any idea what the wolf could be?"

"Who knows what Fury thinks?" the brunette girl huffed, "He's always keeping things from us normal people on earth. But you know what I think?" She paused, "I think it's a mutant. Like from the X-Men movies, and I think she's only just discovered her powers, which would explain the big disaster."

"_She_? What makes you think the wolf's a girl?" the blonde jabbed.

"Some animal experts examined the pictures that were taken and figured out that the wolf was a girl." the brunette a responded matter-of-factly.

I stood up to the girls' height, looking downward slightly in thought with my right index finger rubbing my chin.

_The authorities must know a lot if these three know this much. Normally the people only know close to half of the info compared to the police and detectives._

"Say, you have an unusual hair color." The brunette interrupted my thoughts, cocking her head in interest as I looked up at her.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, a little tightly.

"It's just a darker color than I've ever seen anyone's hair. Did you dye it?"

"Uh… Yeah. Yeah, I dyed it."

"Ok." When I looked into her eyes she looked totally composed, but the tone in her voice told me she caught the pause in my answer.

"I wear colored contacts too. I like the light blue color against black." I added, seeing the black-haired girl look interestedly at my eyes. "I bet green would look great against your black hair."

The girls all smiled.

"Green's my favorite color." The black haired girl replied. "But my hair isn't black. It's dark brown."

I looked closer and nodded when I realized that she was right. The sun was reflecting off its long length in a reddish hue which made it look even browner.

"Sorry. It's such a dark brown…"

"Don't worry about it. Happens to me all the time." She giggled, waving her hand dismissively. "So, if I may ask, what color are your eyes without the contacts?"

"They're hazel. Actually, they're greener, but it doesn't really matter. I just wanted them to pop out more."

"Well," the blonde spoke, "The blue sure does pop, so I guess you chose the color well."

"Thanks."

There was a pause in the conversation. The three girls were glancing from me to each other, making me feel uncomfortable.

"Well…" I started, wrapping the remains of my fruit tart in the butchers paper it came in and placed it in the bag, never looking away from the girls. "It's been fun talking with you, and thanks for telling me about the wolf, but it's about time for me to leave." Sounds sharpened around me, and I realized that there were a few shady characters scattered around the street. I could sense their movements, quiet and very small. "My… mom… is expecting me to be home in five minutes."

The blonde put her hand on my shoulder before I could turn away, "But you just—" she was cut off by the dark brunette who grabbed her hand.

"I bet her mom wants her for something important." She looked at me, "See you later possibly?"

"Ah, yes… Yes. Nice meeting you. Uh… goodbye." I walked off trying not to look too hurried while I frantically glanced around for danger. My wolf hearing and sight was catching all sorts of unusual things, but the worst was the dark suited man behind a newspaper that seemed to pop up every time I looked behind me. Not to mention the three girls had disappeared from the street.

As soon as the street branched off, I rushed around the corner to leave the market, only to run head on into two tall, black-suited, burly looking men.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The paper bag dropped from my hand as I fell onto my back, getting the wind knocked from me. Gasping for air, I could scarcely see the men through my slitted eyes. Despite my heaving, I struggled onto my knees and skittered away just in time to dodge a horrible punch towards my gut. The blow missed by a hair's width, tearing at my shirt and ripping a small portion of it off onto the pavement. Only then did I realize that the men had more than just muscle. They were equipped with sharp-knuckled gloves that each wore on each of their right hands.

Another blow came, this time right in front of my startled face and into the ground. While I watched that speed past, a boot came crashing down and would have landed on my leg with crushing force if I hadn't rolled over in reaction to the attack.

My breath came back, and I rolled again, away from another falling boot, onto my own feet. The situation was not good. The two before me were huge, mostly made of muscle, and were obviously trained in fighting. However, I didn't feel too worried about that. My agility and early years of fighting classes would be my ally. It was the slim looking business man behind them that had most of my attention.

The thug on my right went for a right hook while the other swung his own fist around to catch me when I dodged the first attack. It was foolproof, unless the victim happened to dive the opposite direction.

I launched myself to the left, twisting so my face avoided the hook, and landed on all fours, balanced perfectly on the balls of my feet and the tips of my fingers.

"Why don't you try that again?" I taunted, preparing for another maneuver. "C'mon. I'm little. I can't be so hard to take down."

"Until you transform." I was confused at first about who had spoken. Only until I dodged another punch did I realize the cold, youthful sounding voice belonged to the business man. "I don't expect you to be able to hold it in. Soon enough you'll become the powerful beast."

His comments took me by surprise, taking enough of my concentration that a twist away from an oncoming kick stopped short, and the metal tipped boot collided with my right ankle, instantly causing it to bruise. Whether it was sprained or not I didn't know, but it seriously limited any further movement.

I managed to scuttle a safe distance away to take a deep breath. "Who do you think you are?!"

The suited man merely chuckled. "The question is, who do you think_ you _are, _Tinora Kanin_?"

The question made my head spin, but when a new punch came and flew past my head as, with newfound energy, I dodged and replied:

"I'm not Tinora Kanin." Avoiding putting any weight on my injured ankle, I jumped up and summersaulted to the side of one of the thugs, kicking out and felt a solid smack against the inside of his knee, making it buckle and sending the man down onto the pavement. "My name, is Canine Stray," wolfish senses increased my awareness of the fight, giving me greater reflexes and evaluation of the situation, "and you chose to mess with the wrong person." My elbow came down on the back of the man's head, whacking his head solidly against the ground and knocking him out instantly.

The other thug stood there shocked for a moment before he came to attack again. I sensed him coming up from behind me in an attempt to catch me in a headlock. I ducked, barely escaping his massive arms, and darted behind him. Unfortunately, he was faster than his fallen companion and was facing me almost as soon as I had moved, already throwing a new punch with his armored right hand. I ducked again, but was caught unawares by his left hand, which had started a left hook in anticipation for my move. His punch caught the edge of my jaw, sending me rearing back from the force of the hit. My weight fell on my injured ankle and I stumbled backward. The thug took the chance to hit me again, this time in the gut, sending me falling to the ground hard, blinded with pain. It was at that moment that I saw his weakness. He stayed on the tips of his toes which enabled easier and quicker movements. Unfortunately for him, I knew that one well-aimed kick to the side of his ankle would cripple him, for the tension in the muscles would only work negatively for him, tearing if hit hard enough.

He came rearing for a final punch that would finish me, and I knew it was then, or never. Forgetting the pain, I jumped to my feet and dove to the left. Landing, I used my momentum of the jump to power a swing of my leg. I felt my foot hit the very edge of his heel, ripping straight through the tendons.

With a grunt of pain, the brute went down, nursing his injured heel while I backed away.

"Very impressive." I heard the businessman speak, "You didn't transform… That was unexpected."

"I've controlled it better than you anticipated." I growled, wincing as my ankle and belly throbbed, "Now, I want a clear answer. Who are you, and how do you know who I am?"

"How did you learn to control that beast?" the man asked, ignoring my question completely. "You must have a mentor of some sort."

"You're not going to answer me are you?" I didn't need an answer; I already knew it. Instead of talking, I resorted to examination.

The man was indeed young looking, probably close to his late twenties. His brown hair was combed in long sweeping locks to the right side of his head, held out of his deep blue eyes by some good quality hair gel. He stood close to five feet, six inches tall, with slim shoulders and a small, but long, chest. He stood tall; shoulders held back and his chest puffed out almost in a cocky sort of look, but obviously very high in authority. His hands fell along his sides loosely, his left resting its thumb in the edge of his suit pocket. A gold chain hung loosely from his jacket, announcing his wealth and prosperity in life. On his front jacket pocket, a small pin was placed. It was difficult to see at first, but, with the help of her wolfish senses, she was able to read the gold and yellow lettering.

_A.I.M_

_Secretary_

_Joel X. Maxis_

Because of my reporter background, I knew who this man was, or at least who and what he worked for. The knowledge made me shiver.

"Are you done examining me? I know enough to tell you understand where I come from." Joel declared, "You have a very sharp mind. Tell me, what do you know?"

I hesitated, then decided to answer. "You're the secretary of something for A.I.M. By your stance and the sharp look in your eye I can tell you're higher up in the pecking order, possibly _the_ secretary. You may look inexperienced, but you know much more than you let on. Your stance may look relaxed, but it's one of deception. In truth, every muscle is tuned to react at lightning speed, which tells me you work out and have learned a few moves for fighting. The thugs are just a cover to make you seem weak and helpless so an enemy would jump straight at you, which, I assume, is what you want.

"Instead of asking, I'll guess how you managed to track me. The day of the accident, I noticed I was being followed. Somehow you could sense I was different, and was anticipating for my transformation. Form the hotel, you just managed to follow my main actions until this precise moment. Of course…" I paused before continuing, "You lost me when I entered the alleyway. That would explain how you were surprised that I could control Stray."

The man looked like he'd just been hit from behind with a full wine bottle.

"That's right. I'm just that good." I added, a little cockily.

The light that used to be in Joel's eyes faded, and turned into a dark shadow of anger. "You may be observant and very smart, but it doesn't matter, because I'm taking you in. Your powers will prove useful to us."

My heart practically froze. I knew what would happen if A.I.M got a hold of me. I'd be used as a science experiment; tested physically and mentally to find my limits, blood samples, tests to find a cure, more tests to find a way to add the powers to a normal person… a living lab rat.

"I won't go." I stated sternly, "There's no way you can make me."

Joel laughed, "My dear, you don't really have a choice. You see, despite your intelligence, you've neglected to remember a very important item." on cue, five more men appeared around the corner from behind me, some casually tossing newspapers to the ground as they walked into sight. All of them had the same type of stance as Joel did, making the words I was going to say stick in my throat. "It's come with us awake, or unconscious." Joel sneered.

The men all stopped a yard away from me, lined up and ready to fight. My arm wrapped around my stomach as it throbbed again. Suddenly I felt extremely vulnerable, and I knew this was a fight I would not win.

The men approached, assuming different fighting stances as they started to spread out around me. There was only one other option. I didn't like it, but becoming an experiment was much more undesirable.

I turned tail and ran, speeding right past Joel and into the busy street.

I heard him shout but I didn't care. The urgency for me to escape took all thought in my mind. I limped hard at first, stumbling almost to the point of falling, but I pushed the pain to the back of my mind and I forced myself to run normally.

I pushed past people, knocking grocery bags from different hands as I shouldered through the small crowds. Shouts of anger told me the men were following me, shoving people out of their way. Suddenly, I tripped on a large suitcase that had been placed on the sidewalk. I fell to my side, hitting the edge of the curb and rolling out into the street. People started yelling as they watched as I stood and was narrowly hit by a taxi. I ran forward to the other side of the road, nearly making it before I was hit by a red sports car.

Pain echoed in my head as my whole body ached. Luckily, the car wasn't going very fast, but it was fast enough to send me a couple feet away.

By now everyone in the area were shouting in surprise and worry as they watched the scenario. I lay on the ground, my head spinning from pain. It was only when I heard anger men shouting and growling for people to move did I start to get up. I had landed on my front. When I turned over some people screamed. I had huge bruises on my chin from the two punches the thug had given me, and a long scrape form landing on the road stretched along my right cheek. Add my scars from the bullet grazes I got from the original accident and I looked like a mess.

I ignored the people around me who tried to help; telling me to stay down and relax, or asking what hurt so they could check for serious injuries. I painfully shoved myself up, growling at everyone to leave me around as I looked frantically around for the men. I saw them, running my way closer than I expected. They were about to reach the spot on the road where I tripped. "Excuse me! Excuse me! Move over!" I shouted, pushing past frantic people to hide in the crowd. My limp was horrific. Every time I stepped on my right foot I nearly fell over, but I couldn't stop. I needed to reach the edge of the evacuated area of New York so I could reach Loki and get away.

I didn't realize how slow I had become until one of the black suited men came from nowhere and crashed into my side, barreling me to the ground and through the window of a jewelry store. The two of us rolled different directions from the impact, stopping only when we hit a display podium. He stood almost immediately, but I took a bit longer. Pearl necklaces and diamond earrings poured over me when the podium tipped over and crashed to the floor.

I heard the manager of the store shout then run out of the door to get some help.

I looked dazed towards the man who was now standing over me, the sun gleamed off of the brass knuckles he raised above my head.

"Hey!" a familiar voice shouted from behind him. "Are you the manager? I want to complain about the mess in here." The man turned, confused, allowing me to see who it was that spoke.

It was the dark brown-haired girl I had met in the market. Her two friends stood near her, glancing around curiously at the huge mess we had made.

"I was planning on buying a necklace from here," the blonde mentioned, "but I changed my mind. Do you know any other place I could get one?"

The three entered the shop.

"What happened here?" the brunette wondered, not giving the man any chance to speak. "Dit someone rob this place?!"

"OOOOO!" the blonde continued, "Did aliens crash through your window? Did you happen to see a blue police box?!"

The man only looked around confused and very annoyed as the three teens mobbed him with questions and random conversation starters.

The dark-brown haired girl glanced my direction, then looked at the emergency exit behind me. The clue was obvious, and I took it.

I limped out of the building knowing I would have a big head start. The other men would have stayed at the store thinking I was in the rubble somewhere. If not, then they would have been forced to stay by the police or the onlookers so they would be able to answer questions. Silently I thanked the three teens as I walked along the busy street. My condition caught many people's attention, but none tried to stop me.

Ten minutes later I finally reached the edge of the evacuated area. Unfortunately, as soon as I thought I was good to go, sirens rang from the street behind me. When I looked back, I groaned as three police cars and an ambulance came into view from around a corner that obviously came from the street I had run through.

They came straight towards me, which I wasn't surprised about. My hunched over, limping form would be extremely hard to miss, not to mention my clothes were ripped now in many places, mostly my pants.

They came closer but I couldn't care. Just then I felt the wolf inside me stir. "No… No, not now…" I moaned, falling to my knees in exhaustion while I struggled against myself. I heard Loki's voice echo in my mind, reminding me how well I was doing with controlling my abilities. It was only a memory I knew, but it sounded so real. "I can't give up now." I grunted stubbornly, now hearing the sirens with new clarity, "I won't fall now, not after what I just went through." Every sound in the street for meters in all directions hounded my ears, the sirens and shouting of the A.I.M agents most of all.

I felt my hands start to tremble. I fought harder, breathing deeply and slowly. The sirens were so close now. I closed my eyes to see the face of the wolf before me. "I can't let you out now."

_You're in so much danger! You need me!_

"You need to understand. I transform, I'm in bigger danger than I am now."

The wolf was silent for a moment. Time seemed to slow down all around me.

_If we trust each other, we will prevail. I choose to trust you. Will you choose to trust me?_

"I… choose to trust you."

Suddenly, new energy flooded me, filling my whole body with new life. I was still in pain, but it wasn't as strong as it had been. I stood up and looked behind me. The police cars had pulled over and the men inside were walking my direction. I looked into their faces, disappointed to see hostility in their eyes. From inside one of the cars I saw the man that had knocked me over, along with Joel sitting next to him.

"Come with us ma'am. No funny business." One of the police requested.

"I'm sorry, but it's not an option for me." As soon as my mouth closed, I turned and ran into the evacuated streets, creating a huge gap that increasingly got bigger. The police tried to follow, but I could tell early on that they were losing enthusiasm and, not long after I ran, they stopped and went back to their cars.

Seven minutes later I stopped running. Not far away I sensed Loki, and He was coming my way. While I waited for him, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, relaxing when I could see the wolf spirit within me.

"My life will be much different now isn't it?"

_You guess correct, but don't let the change beat you down._ Stray answered, _We are one now. Nothing will ruin us._

"Yes." I murmured, "No matter what, I will make the best of what comes. Nothing will ruin my life ever again."

I opened my eyes as Loki's hovercraft descended a few yards away, sending fallen papers flying across the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"AIM agents have been tracking you? For how long, did they say?" Loki asked incredulously.

"Apparently since before the accident." I replied, rubbing my hand through my hair. "They lost me when I ran into the alley."

"Good. Then they won't be tracking you to here?" Loki assumed.

"I—I don't know… The only way they could have followed me all this time would be because something traceable is coming off me. Kinda like gamma radiation or something like that."

"Hm." The evil god leaned back against the chair he sat in, a worried expression on his face. "And you say the police almost had you before I came and picked you up?"

"That's right. They would have succeeded too if I hadn't accepted the spirit's offer—"

Wait. The "spirit's" offer? You mean the wolf?" Loki wondered with a glimmer in his eyes.

I realized my mistake after he asked his question. In a rush, I tried to cover up with an excuse.

"Well, sort of… I mean, It's like a mental thing so—"

"Can you see the wolf?"

He hit dead on. I was more flustered than ever.

"Y—yes. If I'm in dire need of help then I can close my eyes and be with the spirit. I've actually had a dream this morning and I talked with it for some time. Then, with the police, it told me that we needed to accept each other in order to prevail over some sort of evil in the future that I wasn't supposed to know about yet because of complications and because it was apparently some big turn in my life that would determine a lot of my future which all seems kind of far-fetched in my opinion because nothing should be so important that it could decide my life for me-" It all came out in a faltering current which was staunched quickly when Loki intervened.

"Whoa, whoa whoa. I didn't ask for a confession." Loki assured with an amused smile. "I only wanted to know if you can see it."

"Yes, I can see it. Sorry, Loki." I murmured embarrassed.

"This is good! You're bonding with the beast inside! Soon, nothing will be able to stop you from becoming the new, powerful you!" he exclaimed excitedly, "You just need to go out longer and blend—"

"I'm wanted by the police." I snapped, "The jewelry all over me after the AIM agent pushed me into the jewelry shop stayed on me when I was running. The police saw me with the pearls still around my neck just before you picked me up."

"Hm. That's right." Loki muttered, his excitement fading a little, "The police will be a problem, but with your speed and other new powers, I think you can avoid them well enough." A new gleam came into his green eyes. "I'm so proud of you, Stray. You started out as a weak, suffering girl, then grew into a strong, independent, knowledgeable being. All in the space of a few days!"

I didn't know how to answer. Despite the help Loki had been, I still felt some uncertainty towards him. What scared me the most, however, was the comfort I felt when I saw him, the ease I had around him. I was getting used to his harsh, yet, loving criticisms he sometimes made, the advice he was always giving me, the encouraging words that lifted my spirits whenever I felt discouraged. I was _enjoying _his presence. _"And I still have to stay with him for four more days before I can leave."_

"Let's get some sleep." He interrupted my thoughts. "It's getting late. I don't want you tired when you go into the city again tomorrow."

When he said it, I realized that it was indeed late: around nine in the evening. The hours after I had left the city were spent going through every single detail of my experience- except the three girls, Loki didn't need to know of them yet—and cleaning me up. The car incident left me more battered than I had thought; officially spraining my ankle and giving me road burn along my right leg and cheek. Only after a glance in Loki's dagger did I realize how bad I looked. Thankfully, I discovered that being part wolf also seemed to enhance my body's healing. By this time, after cleaning the burns and icing the sprain, I was almost back to normal. Both of us were hoping that a good night's rest would finish the process.

"Yeah, ok. I'm headin' off then. See you in the morning?"

"See you in the morning, Stray. Tomorrow, I'm having you go out to meet people. Make friends. Sounds good?"

"Sounds good." I mumbled, thinking about the three mysterious girls who had risked their own lives to save me by distracting the AIM agent as I walked out of the room and into my own bedroom. Laying down into my makeshift bed, I thought to myself, _"Maybe I'll see them again."_ After a moment however, I knew it would be unlikely. _"What are the chances of me seeing them in New York where there are hundreds of people walkin' around day and night?" _ With that question fresh in my mind, I nodded off to sleep.

"Hey, Stray. Time to get up."

Loki's voice penetrated my peaceful sleep, driving me back to wakefulness.

"Hm? Wha'?… Time already?"

Despite the good rest, I felt like I hardly had an hour of sleep.

"Yes, it's time to get up." Loki answered with humor strong in his voice. "It's not winter yet so no hibernation."

"Har har har." I murmured good-naturedly, blinking sleep from my eyes while sitting up to stretch. Loki, I sensed, was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and toe tapping impatiently for me to get up and going. "Y'know, if you have a problem with me taking my time, just say it so I can confirm what I already can sense." I added while rolling lazily out of bed.

"Fine. You're going too slowly. Hurry up." Loki shot back. If it wasn't for the smile on his face, I could have sworn he was being serious. "Oh, by the way, your face is looking much better. There's no signs of any road burn anymore. "

"I'm glad you care enough to notice." I giggled, running my hands quickly back and forth along my head to tousle up my hair, ridding myself of the bedhead I had while making it stick up wildly in all directions. It was easy, and made my hair look pretty good. With a final flick of my head to clear all hair from my face, my hair was done. As for my clothes, I wore the same outfit I had originally started with after my first transformation. For some reason I no longer had to change as long as I transformed regularly. It was like changing the clothes themselves.

"Ok, let's go!" Loki urged.

"Can I eat first?" I whined teasingly for I knew he had no food to spare for me. He could only give me money for food, if we couldn't find anything good in the abandoned homes and apartments.

"You're very amusing." He replied, "Now let's go. You have enough money to buy a few meals today." He grabbed my arm and started to pull me out of my room and to the roof of the place we stayed where his hovercraft was parked.

I didn't get another time to speak until we were on the craft and flying towards the populated part of the city.

"Why do you want me to meet new people?" I finally wondered after a minute of flight. "I know you want me to become a new person, but, honestly, how many people will I meet and ever see again?"

"The point of this, Stray, is so you can become comfortable around others." Loki stated seriously. "To be honest, though, it helps when you're in need of someone to fall back on during trouble. The more people you know, the more of a chance you can get out of sticky situations."

_Boy is that true._ I thought, recalling how I had been saved by the three girls.

Soon, I was walking into the busy streets of New York, weaving in and out of the crowd to find a restaurant to eat breakfast. It didn't take long to find a good place. Different cafes and small stores littered the sides of the streets, **open** signs were lit up invitingly all over the place. Eventually, I chose a tucked away fast-food place and quickly ordered a hamburger and fries to go. It didn't take five minutes before a tall blonde girl gave me a sack with my food in it.

"That was fast." I couldn't help but to comment as I took the sack.

"We're not the most popular place in the world so we have time to cook the food in advance. Not many customers come to a fast-food restaurant that's harder to reach than all the others." the blonde replied without any emotion, "Our alleyway placement is a tad rough on the city goers."

"I understand. This must be an easy job then." I assumed, pulling out a couple fries and sticking them into my mouth experimentally.

"Not at all," the girl sighed, "With this place being where it is, it's a popular place for gangs or drunks. It's difficult keeping order sometimes."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry." I spoke with a hurried gulp.

"I manage it pretty well for a girl." She muttered, "Anything else I can get you?"

"No, thank you very much." I closed the bag and started to the door.

"Have a good day."

"Yeah, you too. Uh, don't let anyone bully you too much. No one can force you to have a bad day."

The girl looked at me a little surprised and embarrassed before replying:

"Thanks. I needed to hear that."

"No problem." With that said, I walked out back to the street feeling pretty good about what I had just done.

Soon, I found an empty bench on the side of a clothing store and stopped to eat the burger and fries I had bought, always keeping a hesitant eye on the people who passed. _Any one of them could easily be an enemy. Not to mention I'm not sure how popular I could be right now._ Images of the police chasing me while expensive pearls and diamonds clinked around my neck and arms flashed across my mind making me shiver. _Why did AIM have to get involved? Because of them, my new lease on life is ruined_. _I'm a wanted criminal __**again**__. _

I finished my food after dwelling on that thought, and quickly decided to walk around the street market again. It didn't take long to find an entrance, and, pretty soon, I was, once again, surrounded by the sights and smells of the street. People still bustled about from booth to booth, but not as wildly as before. A glance at a newspaper told me why. Today was Sunday, which meant yesterday was Saturday; New York's busy day.

I wandered about for only two minutes before I heard someone shout in my direction.

Startled, I jumped and prepared to make a quick runaway until I noticed a slightly familiar face smiling from a pastry counter.

"Hey!" I shouted back, jogging over to the counter, "Nice to see you again. How'd you recognize me? I only came once yesterday."

"Ah, I don't forget little missies with hair an' eyes like yourself. Enjoy the pastry?"

"It was delicious! I'm going to buy the same again if you don't mind."

"Of course not! Here ya go, one cherry tart for the same price as before." The man placed the delicious dessert in a paper bag and handed it to me while I, in turn, passed a dollar bill.

"Thank you very much. This will definitely hold me 'till lunchtime."

"You're most welcome young lady. Enjoy New York!"

I started to walk away but stopped to face the man again. "Could I get your name by any chance? I could direct hungry passerby's in your direction easier that way."

"My name's Bill. I'll be keepin' count of how many people you send out." The man replied with a smile and a wink.

I smiled back then walked down the street further, not going many steps before stopping by a woman pushing a stroller with a whiney toddler inside. Knowing Bill was still watching, I pointed in his direction and told her to try giving the upset boy a treat. Then I went out of view feeling better than I had in days. Nothing stopped me from suggesting Bill's pastries to the browsers who needed something to do. Some I even started conversations with. It felt good. Loki was right. I did need to get used to being around people now that I was a mutant. I still felt a little awkward around the people who I started to get to know better, but that would change over time once I figure out precisely how I wanted to answer the questions they asked.

Hours passed. I had talked to more than forty people. (I tried to keep count, but I lost count around thirty-seven.) At least half of which I got to know pretty well. I enjoyed seeing the looks on people's faces when I walk up to them, a random stranger, and start talking. It was a little weird to do so, but I enjoyed it too much to care; the smiles that were on the stranger's faces after we go separate ways filled me up to the brim.

The next thing I knew, I had missed lunch by three hours. With a bag on my shoulder filled with odds and ends that I had bought along the way, I sat on a bench and sighed.

_Today was amazing! I can't believe it all passed so quickly. Everyone here is so fun to talk to, I can't bring myself to stop! I never knew getting to know people would be so… enjoyable._

I thought about the job I had as a reporter. Getting to know people then was more from necessity; to get good stories or biographies, or information about recent events. It was so different from this. When I thought about it deeper, I realized I really didn't remember anything about anyone I had done a report on; only a select few of whom had the best stories of the century.

_When I settle down permanently, I'm going to do this more often for my reports. Maybe I'll just grab a random person and make an article about them for fun. The column could be called "Stories on the Street". _

I grinned happily and looked around for another person to meet. My smile vanished when I saw the entrance of the alley I had been attacked in yesterday. Absentmindedly, I made my way over to the corner and peered within the empty space. I took a step forward and heard a papery crunch. I looked, and found my bag I had dropped when I was first jumped by the two thugs. Inside still laid the cherry pastry, albeit smashed by my foot.

_Who am I kidding? I'll never settle down here. There's very few ways I could do that happily without revealing my identity at some point. _

Something tickled in my mind. Loki was free in New York, and no one knew but me, and I couldn't do anything about it; at least not for two more days in any case.

_What will I do once the week is over? I hate to admit it, but I think I might miss him. I mean, he's given me another chance. He's the only one who knows me and accepts what I am. He really is different from who I thought he was. I mean, nothing can change what he tried to do, but he's proving that he's not at all as heartless as he appeared then. He's actually nice and can feel some sort of compassion or mercy. He has a sense of humor for Pete's sake! Oh… I don't know…_

Movement near me took my attention away from my head and I turned to see who it was. A young man wearing a tawny jacket was walking only feet away, looking around at the different booths that lined the street.

Allowing some wolf sense to come in, I could hear his stomach growling ferociously.

_I'll worry about Loki later. For now, I'll do what he told me to do._

"Uh, excuse me sir," I exclaimed, gaining the man's attention, "If you're hungry, I know a place with some really good pastries."

He looked at me curiously before replying. "Where do you suggest?"

"It's not too far up the road. It's a small counter worked by a man named Bill. I had one of his cherry tarts this morning."

"Have you been telling people to go to him often?"

"I have today. I promised Bill I would."

"I see…" the man murmured while pulling his jacket out to reach into the inner pocket. "Well… I am hungry, but that's not why I'm here. You see, I was looking for someone and I believe that someone is you." As he spoke, he pulled out his wallet and flipped it open to reveal the police insignia and his license.


	7. Chapter 7

My heart froze. I stared at the wallet, fear glinting brightly in my eyes.

"Now, I need you to come quietly." He soothed while reaching back and pulling out a pair of hand cuffs. "Otherwise I will have to use the Taser, which I'd like to avoid. The easier you come, the easier it will be for you. From what I've heard from Mr. Maxis, you are a very smart girl Canine. You know what you should do. At headquarters we'll question you, and then you can go again."

"N-no. I-I… I can't go with you." My voice faltered as I stepped away from the cop.

"Come now, or I'll have to force you."

I didn't wait any longer. I turned and ran the same way I had yesterday. I gathered speed the best I could while pushing through the crowd once again, clutching my bag of items, determined not to drop anything. I didn't look back, but I didn't have to to know the cop wasn't following me. There were no sounds of pursuit; only the angry shouts of those I bumped into.

I was even more scared than I would have been if he was following me. His neglect to try and catch me made me uneasy. Somewhere, I knew, he had backup, waiting for me to run into their hands.

"How could I have been so stupid? I should have sensed the danger he was." I thought angrily at myself.

_Don't put yourself down too much._

I moaned inwardly when Stray, my wolf spirit, spoke in my mind.

_He was a civilian cop and was indeed hungry._

"Yeah, but apparently he wasn't looking for food because he decided to arrest me instead. And how did I not realize what he was looking for? I mean, he was looking off into the crowd and-" Realization dawned in my mind and I felt Stray slip back into unconsciousness, her duty fulfilled for the moment. "I get it now. The cop was looking through the crowd, not for food booths, but for a dark-haired, blue-eyed girl like me who, he knew, had been talking to people and directing them to Bill who he had spoken to first off, explaining how why he seemed to be traveling in the same direction I was." After a moment with that thought, I commented, "Wow… now I feel dumb… It really wasn't as complicated as I had thought… a simple misunderstanding."

I was still running through the crowd when I heard shouts, louder that those around me, from up ahead. I looked up, and fell to a complete stop at the sight of two police cars, a K-9 vehicle, and none other than Hawkeye, all barricading the road. Around me, I could hear people muttering to themselves and looking curiously at the police, asking complete strangers why they thought an Avenger was with them.

I could feel the eyes of the police search the crowd I was in, but the burning sensation I felt when Hawkeye did the same was way different. He could spot anything from a mile away and shoot it within a second, either killing it, or leaving it alive, depending on his preference.

I stared, frozen in fear while his gaze came closer and closer. His piercing search was less than a foot away from me when a dark shadow covered my eyes and an arm wrapped around my shoulders. I flinched, but the arm was strong and controlling, keeping me from moving enough to attract attention. I felt the urge to run, and was about to, before a voice spoke in my ear:

"Hey, Max! Long time no see! What do ya' think of all this? How's aunt Maddy, by the way?"

"Wha-?" I breathed hurriedly, glancing up to speak to whoever was next to me. "I-I'm sorry but I think you've got the wrong—" I stopped when the familiar face of the brunette girl met my eyes.

"Can you believe Hawkeye is here?" The blonde came up on my other side, nudging my arm to tell me to turn around.

"What do you think happened to cause this? Someone must be in _big_ trouble." the darker brunette continued the conversation while grabbing my hand and guiding me away with them and away from the police.

While we walked, I thought about what had just happened.

_These three, once again, have saved my hide. But, why? Why protect me? I'm grateful and all, but I still can't figure out why they did it. The hat was a smart idea and acting friendly with me too. Hawkeye totally passed me by._ _They practically had it all planned out the way they fell into it so quickly and easily._

We rounded a corner and exhaled, relieved to be away from the danger. Only then did I realize they too were terrified.

"Why did you do that?" I asked after a moment's pause, "It was dangerous and, honestly, extremely stupid, considering it was Hawkeye you were up against."

"We did it because we know you don't deserve to be caught." The blonde answered.

"AIM set you up; framed you so you could be made vulnerable." The brunette continued, "Why wouldn't we?"

"Well… it was just… I wouldn't expect three teenage girls to do that; risk their lives and stuff like that." I expressed hesitantly, unsure myself why they wouldn't help someone they had helped before.

"Hey, we're not your average teenage girls." The dark brunette declared, "I don't know about these two," she gestured to her friends, "but I _need_ some thrill in my life. I feel bored with everyday life; being able to predict what to do the next day, the next week, even the next month! Finding a new friend who's being chased by AIM and, unrightfully, by the police is just what I wished for! Of course it's good to help those in need anyway. "

"You wished for an oddball girl to show up with AIM and the cops on her heels?" I wondered with a slight smile.

"Uh…yeah! That's exactly what I had hoped for!" she replied with a smile of her own. Her friends lightly punched her shoulders teasingly while laughing.

"Since I've bumped into you three twice already, could I get your names?"

"This is Summer." The brunette spoke, pointing to the blonde. Then, pointing to the dark brunette, she went on, "This is Annie, and my name's Tiara, but we're often referred to as 'Annie and the girls'."

"Good to finally know you." I exclaimed to the three, "My name's Tinor-uh-Canine; Canine Stray." I finished quickly, a little startled that I had almost given my real name.

"Well, it's good to know you too, Canine Stray." Annie responded as if she hadn't heard my quick correction.

"Hey, since we're all friends now, do you mind telling us your address or phone number? That way we could stay in touch and have parties and stuff like that." Tiara suggested eagerly.

"Ah, well…um…I, uh…don't know my address." I explained warily while trying to form the right words. "I actually don't even have…I don't live…" The looks from the three girls made me slightly queasy and my tongue quickly failed me. Thankfully, they took up the conversation.

"Don't worry." Annie soothed, "If you don't have anywhere to go, you'll be able to come to us."

"Speaking of which," Summer spoke, "Why don't we have a sleepover tonight?"

"That's a great idea!" Tiara squealed excitedly, "Who's house should we stay at?"

"How 'bout mine?" Annie suggested thoughtfully, "My parents are going out for my Dad's work party. We could stay for the night without much interruption."

"What about Jack, and your sisters?" Summer wondered.

"They're sleeping over at my cousin's house. They've actually just left this morning." Annie declared happily, "I'll call my mom." Immediately, Annie pulls out her small phone and dials up her mother. Tiara, Summer and I listen closely to hear what they say.

"Hi mom! How are you?...That's good. Hey, Ti, Summer and I want to sleep over at our house tonight….Uh-Hu…Yeah, we're just going to hang out….Oh, and we've found a new friend too….Yup…She's just like us….I'm telling them you said that!...Oh, they'll enjoy it, I promise….So it's a yes?...Sweet! I love you mom! You're the best!...Don't worry, I will! Love you, bye!" Annie happily tucked her phone away into her pockets, a huge grin across her face. "She's said yes!"

Squeals of joy came as a reply from Tiara and Summer.

"And she said she logged me onto the computer before they left so we can do more research!" Annie added.

"Sweet! Tonight is going to be awesome!" Summer shouted with a fist pump.

"Oh, and my mom said that she thought there were no other people like us cuz our race of craziness had killed most of off. Apparently we are the lone survivors!" The three went on into giggles and jokes

"D-don't you need to pack clothes or anything?" I asked, amazed at how quickly they had set up the sleepover and were ready to go.

"No. You'll understand when we get to Annie's." Tiara answered, grabbing my hand, "Now let's go so we can ignore the rest of the world and be in our own!" With no further conversation, we all started to make our way down the street in the direction of the evacuated part of the city.

I hadn't realized how close Annie's house was to the border of the evacuation zone; only six houses away. After revealing her secret house keys that were hidden under a fake flower, we entered, and made ourselves right at home. The walk to her house was a pleasant one, filled with much talking that hovered on the topic of—well—me; or at least the wolf part. Occasionally it would turn around onto the normal me. I didn't realize how talkative those girls could be. When it came to similarities that we ended up finding in all of us, there was no shutting us up. For the moment, I felt like a normal person.

"Now, why did you not have to pack?" I probed once we all had filed into Annie's room and my newly bought stuff was hung on a doorknob.

No one answered. Instead, Annie came to my side to watch with me as Tiara and Summer walked to a dresser and opened a drawer, each pulling from within a pair of pajamas and toothbrushes.

"We've spent so many nights together that we've started to keep some of our things at each other's houses." Annie explained. "All three of our houses have a pair of our PJ's, toothbrushes, and sleeping bags so we don't have to pack for out-of-the-blue sleepovers. And any clothes we might need we share. We're all about the same size, so, we figured, if the clothes from the day before are too dirty, then we borrow something."

"It's really handy." Tiara commented, placing her stuff on a sleeping bag that she had pulled out from a hidden storage room in the wall.

"And not to mention fun!" Summer added.

"Now…" Tiara murmured, looking at me with a thoughtful expression, "We're gonna need another sleeping bag…"

"I've got one!" Annie declared, "It's in the attic. Let's go get it and we'll show Canine the place while we're at it."

"Sounds like a plan!" Tiara exclaimed while walking out of the room. Annie, Summer, and I hurried to catch up.

We walked through the kitchen and back into the entry where I found Tiara had pulled down a fold-up ladder from the ceiling, revealing a black hole which—I assumed—led to the attic. Without hesitation, my new friends climbed up and a light turned on immediately afterwards. Once I got up, I felt surprised at what I saw. The floor was covered by a large, decorative rug. Paintings were hung along the flat portions of the walls. Boxes were stacked up in the far corners and inside small compartments along the walls. An old couch sat in the center of the attic with an even older box-TV and VCR set a few feet in front of it. Next to that TV, however, was placed a small flat-screen hooked up to an X-Box, and a Wii. And, by the look of the antenna added to the lot, I guessed they had internet access along with the games.

"I found a sleeping bag!" Summer shouted, swinging a packed sleeping bag around in the air.

"Sweet!" Annie smiled, "I knew we had one somewhere!" she switched her attention onto me. "What do ya' think? Nice right?"

"Nice is an understatement." I clarified while walking into the center of the room. Twirling with a small flourish I faced my new friends and went on, "This is awesome! A flat-screen? X-box? Wii? Internet? A ladder that's virtually hidden from everything? This isn't an attic… It's practically a teen's paradise!"

"I'm liking her more and more," I heard Tiara mutter to her two friends. "She's got style."

A grin spread across my face and any thought I had about AIM, the police, or SHEILD vanished. For the first time in days, I felt free. I felt like a normal person, not a criminal freak that trained with Loki.

"Well, we've got the sleeping bag, why don't we go downstairs and make some dinner?" Annie suggested with a glance at a gold colored watch around her wrist, "It's six-thirty, and, I don't know about you three, but I'm starving!"

"Good old Annie," Summer laughed, "Always thinking about food."

I looked down at my belly when it rumbled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since that morning. "Good to know someone else shares my love for food." I commented while climbing down the ladder and into the kitchen, closely following Tiara.

Once we all were in the kitchen, Annie directed:

"Sit back and relax, Canine, and enjoy the show." She then addressed her friends while I seated myself at the table, "What do we feel like eating?"

"Spaghetti!" Summer called from the stove a few feet behind Annie.

"What on it?" Annie then wondered. "I'm going to fry some mushrooms…"

"Definitely spaghetti sauce." Tiara added while pulling out a canned bottle of the red sauce from a small pantry next to the stove.

"Pizza/Pasta Magic!" Summer declared, holding a small bottle with some red powdered spices inside.

"Anything you'd like to add?" Annie asked me.

"Um… Meatballs. Nice big meatballs."

"Meatballs! Of course!" She then cried with her palm against her forehead, "How could I forget those? Meat is a _must have _in any dinner!"

From that moment, Tiara, Annie, and Summer started to work on the food. I had a hard time keeping up with them while they worked. They didn't even seem to communicate at all; their movements were totally in sync. If I didn't know any better, I would say they were one whole person. Arms flew from the sink, to the stove, and then to the pantry without bumping or knocking anything form anyone's grasp. Before I knew it, the table was set and all the food was completed and in their proper places in the center of its top. Never in my life had I seen such teamwork.

_They are definitely going to be my first story once I'm back into the reporter business._ I thought, impressed.

They sat down: Tiara next to me, Summer across the table, and Annie next to her. Each had a huge grin on their faces. The reason was because of the blank expression I wore as I stared at the food that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere.

"Enjoy the show?" Summer asked.

"That was impressive." I admitted after a few seconds of further silence. "I am extremely surprised."

"Well, let's hold up on the compliments till you've had the food." Annie urged.

A couple minutes later, after a prayer to bless the food, we dug in. I piled up a large quantity of noodles onto my plate and soon covered it with sauce, cheese, Pizza/Pasta Magic, and meatballs. The mushrooms didn't agree with my inner Wolf. Meanwhile, Annie grabbed a generous amount of everything; Tiara and Summer did the same without quite as many meatballs.

"So, Canine," Annie started after we had devoted some time to eat, "Like the food?"

I merely nodded enthusiastically for I was busy stuffing fork-fulls of noodles into my mouth.

"Ha-ha!" Annie laughed as she watched me eat. "I hate to admit it, but you eat faster that I do."

"Well…" I managed between bites, "I'm really hungry. If I had eaten lunch I'd be a bit slower."

"Why didn't you eat lunch?" Summer inquired.

"I spent my time meeting new people." I answered, "You see, I used to be a reporter, so getting to know everyone is a strong talent of mine." I shoved a meatball into my mouth before continuing. "That is, as of five days ago I was… I'm not a reporter anymore."

"Why?" Tiara wondered curiously.

"Well… There were complications… and a job as a reporter wasn't going to work out."

"So, how do you pay for stuff now…another job?" Annie guessed.

"Uh, no. No, I—um…" I didn't know how to answer without giving Loki away. I had to think hard for a moment before I knew what to say. "I have—um—a… a sponsor! Yeah! He's lending me money until I can get my job back."

"A sponsor?" Tiara declared surprised. "You must've been a great reporter if someone's willing to give you money."

"Oh, I don't know about that," I murmured.

"By the way," Summer interrupted, changing the subject slightly, "What's in your bag?"

"My bag? Oh! It's just a bunch of dog stuff. Some treats, toys, a collar, a harness… y'know… the regular stuff."

"You have as dog?!" Annie exclaimed excited.

"Well… I guess you could say that." I answered, smiling inwardly at how twisted the truth really was.

We finished eating and cleaned all the dishes by hand, letting them dry in a drying rack, before returning to Annie's room with a laptop and settling down on her bed. She sat over the edge with the computer on her lap while the rest of us either sat behind her, or next to her in an attempt to see the screen.

"Ok," Annie started, immediately typing in the google URL, "We, since the wolf incident, have been researching all about wolves, mutants, and the accident."

"We haven't found much on the accident," Tiara continued the explanation, "Only that SHEILD is keeping an intensive look-out for anything that could link to the Wolf. They've got Avengers out everywhere as backup for the police groups that are on the search."

"And, on the topic of mutants and wolves, we haven't learned much more than we already know, which is a lot." Summer added, "Main stuff; mutants tend to get their powers around teen age, there are innumerable types of powers they could have, and very few are accepted in society. Wolves spend their times in packs. They're extremely social animals and need the company of others. They hunt together under one alpha and spread the wealth amongst the pack. They're starting to become extinct because of human construction and pollution in the environment. Many are being found dead from water or food poisoning, some even radiation, while the rest have died of hunger or thirst, or are hit by cars. Wildlife preserves have started to save as many wolves as possible to stop them from becoming extinct."

The whole time Summer was explaining, I noticed Annie was researching for any images on the incident, her face contorted in deep thought. Once Summer had finished, a grin covered that thought.

"I've just got an idea…" she spoke up while opening another google page and searching up an address that I recognized as my old apartment room. "Reports have said that the Wolf first appeared in Tinora Kanin's room, a popular reporter, and that no remains have been found of her since the wolf escaped. The police have guessed she was devoured. There was so much blood around the room that it's possible. Anyway, they have no idea how the wolf had entered the hotel in the first place without getting seen. There was no evidence of any breakage beforehand; no prints, no fur, nothing. It just appeared in the hotel. Unless…" she paused as if building up the suspense. "Tinora Kanin _is _the wolf. She could have been a mutant without knowing it and had her powers appear that evening. It explains the wolf appearance and her disappearance."

"But, if that's true, then how has she hidden from SHEILD for so long?" Summer asked skeptically.

"The new wolf transformation could have changed her appearance!" Tiara shared, "Her hair, eyes, even clothes could have been altered permanently! She'd be a totally different person!"

"And, if she was as smart as she's described in the news, she'd know she would have to do more than just look different. She would change her name!"

"Wow…" Summer and Tiara muttered in sync.

"She could be anywhere in New York without SHEILD knowing it." Annie finished, sounding a little dazed as the pieces fit together perfectly.

As for me, I was overcome with a storm of emotions. Fear, surprise, anger, awe... everything crashed on me at once. I watched hesitantly for the girls to look at me with understanding, but they never did; only talking excitedly as to who they thought was Tinora.

_They guessed it. They know exactly what happened, yet…they have no inkling of an idea that __**I'm**__ who they're talking about. They're smart, but, in a way, not. _

Suddenly, a beeping sound went off, startling everyone. Annie jumped to a desk next to her bed and slammed her hand down onto the button of a clock, stopping the beeping.

"Sorry," The grumbled while toying with different switches and buttons, "I accidentally set the alarm for pm instead of am. Explains why I woke up late today."

I looked at the clock, and nearly fell off the bed when I saw what time it was.

_Ten-thirty?! I was supposed to get back to Loki by nine!_

"I-I'm sorry," I spoke suddenly, catching my friend's attention, "I-I have to go. I can't let you all get in trouble for being with me." I stood and started to the door.

"What? But…Canine…we're sleeping over." all three argued at once.

"We don't mind the trouble," Annie stated, "We're willing to risk it."

"Your troubles are our troubles now too." Summer proclaimed.

"We're friends. That's what friends do," Tiara continued, "We share our troubles with each other."

"No! No, I… I can't let you get into this." I uttered, afraid of what could come out of their loyalty. "It's much too dangerous! You have no idea what you're getting yourselves into!"

"It's just AIM and the police." Annie pointed out with a dismissive wave of her hand, "We can handle them when we need to."

"No, that's not it!" I started to shout desperately, "There's more than AIM and the cops! I… It's… You just can't be around me, otherwise you'll be targeted too!"

"Look," Tiara snapped, shutting me up and forcing me back onto the bed. She, Annie, and Summer stood along the edge of it, blocking my way. "We don't care. You may be wanted by the rest of the world, fine! The only thing that matters now is that you are our friend and we _will _help you, no exceptions."

"We're a pack," Annie started with her hands on her hips, "As such; we look out for each other."

I stared at them dumbfounded. They stood defiant with stern expressions; there was no way to dissuade them.

_They're all crazy! Why won't they listen to me?_

I looked up at them, meeting each of their eyes; Tiara's amber gaze seemed to flare up like an impassable wall of fire, Annie's brown eyes looked soft and caring, yet strong and unbreakable like the earth itself, and Summer's blue eyes swirled like a river that laughed and giggled with unsaid jokes which where all hidden behind the powerful current that could sweep even the Hulk off of his feet.

I made a deep sigh before speaking:

"Look. I'm grateful and honored to have such loyal new friends. I—" I cut off, trying to figure out how to word out my feelings. "I'm glad to know I have someone to catch me when I fall, but I really can't have you help me right now." Tiara opened her mouth to argue but I put my hand up to keep her quiet and continued, "You don't know how much trouble I'm in right now. Soon, I'll be out of most of it and you can help me with the rest. Until then, you can only keep an eye out for me to help if AIM or the cops are on me. Otherwise, you have to promise not to get involved. If Loki himself is with me, you mustn't do anything. If the Avengers are chasing me you can't interfere. You got all that? I really like you guys and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you get hurt because you knew me."

It was the girl's turn to be dumbfounded. They stared at me skeptically at first, then Annie's eyes softened and she offered her hand to help me off the bed.

"I promise." She vowed "If Loki or the Avengers are with you I swear not to help."

"Same here, I promise." Tiara echoed.

"I guess I have to then," Summer sighed, "I promise."

I smiled with relief then was caught in a huge bear hug by all three girls.

"Out of curiosity," Annie wondered after she had released me, "Why Loki and the Avengers?"

"Oh! Uh… they're the best examples of when not to help me." I answered.

I grabbed my bag and started to walk to the front door, Annie, tiara, and Summer close behind me. When we reached the door, I was, once again, nearly crushed by a huge bear hug.

"Try not to make us help you." Summer pleaded.

"I'll do my best." I called from the street. With a wave, I turned to the deserted city and started to run. I continued to look back at Annie's house until I couldn't see it anymore. By that time, I was well into the abandoned streets.

Knowing Loki was still waiting, I turned into a wolf—albeit hesitantly—and, with the bag in my mouth, loped towards the meeting place; as a six-foot plus dog, it didn't take long to reach it. Loki, as I had guessed, was lying on his hovercraft, impatiently tapping his foot. As I approached, he stood and stared at me with worried green eyes, _not _what I had expected. Anger was more my idea.

"You took long enough to arrive," he spoke while watching me transform back to myself and climb onto the hover craft. "I hope it was because you were carried away with meeting new people."

"Yes, Loki."

"In that case, you have any new friends?"

I grinned, "The weirdest ones in the world."


End file.
